Self-interest or selflessness in dark days.

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." From Paul's second letter to Timothy as translated in the NIV.

"The darkest hour is just before the dawn" ~ Thomas Fuller

It is a truism that we are drawn as humans to focus on those things that are horrifying. Social media and the news media in general flood us with all the horrific things that are happening in the world and feed fear of "the other." Right now, at this very moment in history, the world is full of horrors. We have news of a disease that may or may not be highly infectious, we have people fearing death at the hands of government officials, we have rioting in the streets due to terrorist groups infiltrating protests causing even more fear of death, and we have hateful and angry speech being hurled back and forth mostly about who is to blame and how awful the "other side" is. That is only what is happening in the United States. In other parts of the world, there are even more horrors to be found, but the issues here in the U.S. are enough for the purposes of this writing. 

Human beings, by the very existence of sin in our hearts, are incapable of making any decisions on our own that are not tainted with self-interest. From the investment banker who thinks, "what if I just take a little bit here or there, no one will notice," to the man or woman who says to himself/herself; "I like what I see, so I'm going to take advantage of this other person and use them for my own physical pleasure," in spite of consent, outside the bond of marriage, or even outside the legal restrictions of age; to even something seemingly as innocuous as the person who says to themselves, "I see something happening over there that doesn't seem right, but I may be hurt in some way if I intervene, so I will not," all are acting in percieved self-interest. 

The believer in Jesus Christ should be different by nature of the "renewal of our minds." (see Romans 12:2) We are changed by the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and this, through prayer, Bible study, and meditation on God's Word; subdues the natural human inclination toward self-interest. Our focus must be centered on others rather than how we feel about a situation. It is natural to form opinions, but will the opinions and the sharing of same be beneficial to those who hear? (see Ephesians 4:29). 

Another application is to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger (See James 1:19). Part of wisdom and maturity in Christ is knowing when to listen, especially when to listen to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. When we, as Christ followers, rush to judgement and speak the first thing that comes to mind, we fall into a dangerous trap. The world is watching. They know what we claim to be, and when they see us act exactly like them (and sometimes worse), we blend with the darkness and they see no difference. 

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16 NASB) A light shines in the darkness, and our light is the light of Christ. We do not have it of our own selves, it comes from God through the Holy Spirit, and when we let that light shine we share the Spirit of God with others. Only the Light of God can overcome the darkness of this world. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1:5 NLT)

When we live as light, we show love to our neighbors. We know who our neighbor is, that particular illustration has been reiterated so many times that any American Christian who has not heard of the good Samaritan, has been hiding in a hole somewhere with no human contact. The instruction to love our neighbors is antithetical to self-interest. The Apostle Paul even goes so far as to say we should consider others as better than ourselves. 

Then there is the Apostle James, who tells us that the tongue (a metaphor for our speech, i.e. what we say), is like the rudder of a ship, which can either keep it on course, or scuttle it. 

We all have feelings, and there is a reason the Apostle Paul said, "be angry but do not sin." Our feelings need to be put under the submission of the Holy Spirit. We cannot let them control how we react or interact with others, but rather we should excercise compassion in all our interactions. Compassion, agape love if you will, is more than just a feeling; it is a pattern of behavior. 

So before we speak or post the tweet or facebook comment that will "show the other guy," we need to stop, take a breath, and make sure that it meets the following criteria:

1. Is is true? If yes, go to #2. If no, stop and do not post or say it. If uncertain, stop and do not post or say it. 

2. Is it compassionate or is it loving? If you are certain it is, go to #3. If the answer is no, or you are not sure, go to prayer and seek counsel from scripture or someone wise in the faith.

3. Is it beneficial? If I say what I am thinking, will it lead people closer to Christ or might it push them away? 

I hope this is helpful to those who read it. If you are touched by what God has given me, please share it. Let us encourage each other toward the Light. 

Do they hate us for the right reason?

John 15:18-25

18 “If the world hates you, [a]you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have [b]sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have [c]sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. 25 But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’"

I've heard the above passage used as a defense for people hating those who call themselves Christian. It's an interesting defense because it seems true on the surface. The trouble is, most of us who either claim the name or to whom the name is applied, fail to "slaves" to Christ. Oh, certainly, we give lip-service to the idea, but when it comes down to brass tacks, our service to Christ often falls to the side so we can feed whatever lust may be the flavor of the day. We see something that strikes our fancy and we put all our time and energy into it. We all do it.

And eventually those things eat away at us. We become prideful, disdainful, all the things the Apostle Paul warned us are fruits of the flesh in Galatians 5. But before that, in verses 13-15 (NASB), he says the following:

"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another."

We spend so much time being cantankerous and finding ways to tear down other people that the message of Christ is lost. Not only do people hate us because we come across as jerks, they come to hate Christ and all that He stands for. This is a horrible thing and must not be.

Let us be like Christ. Let us love our neighbors, that being everyone we come across to the end that Christ is glorified, then, if people still hate us, that is for God to sort out. We will have done right.

The psalmist wrote about a tree planted by flowing streams of water which never dies and just keeps growing. Let us plant ourselves in the knowledge of the Word of God, in prayer and in meditation. Let us do good for those around us and love them as the Father has loved us. Let us not be that tree that dies away leaving only a gnarled trunk and branches behind.

What's in a name?

Read Acts 2:42-47

Christian.

We use the word a lot. We call ourselves by it. If someone asks what we believe, we say that is what we are. Are we?

The word started nearly 2,000 years ago as a slur in the city of Antioch in what is modern day Syria. It is literally translated; "little Christ" and was intended to mock the believers in the newest religious movement of the time. Over the years, it came to be embraced by believers as a badge of honor. More years passed and it's meaning has changed to a more ambiguous moniker for any person or group even loosely associated with a church. Many of us, especially in the west, who use the name to describe our faith, don't really resemble anything close to Christ Himself, not even a little.

For this reason, I personally don't prefer to refer to myself as a Christian. I know I don't deserve such a title: I just don't measure up.

The believers in the early days of the Church were active neighbors. This is, after all, the second greatest commandment; "Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself." They sold possessions and used the money to care for the needs of others. They shared what they had with those around them.

There are grand cathedrals in Europe which sit empty on a Sunday, or have been repurposed because no one bothers to go anymore. Here in North America, congregations of Bible preaching Churches continue to shrink. We're comfortable. We're Lot in a land of indulgence.

Lot lived in a land of selfishness, Godlessness, and excess. He was comfortable. His faith didn't spill out to those around him. He lost his home, his wife, and the innocence and integrity of his children. In the end, God spared his life, but even then he didn't really change.

So too do we live, surrounded by excess and indulgence, even surrounding ourselves with those who tell us what we want to hear instead of what we need. These voices tell us that we deserve to indulge, while the Christ of the Bible was "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief," who Himself said, "it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Religion isn't about what I can get, or how I can benefit. The Apostle James wrote that "pure religion" is to care for the less fortunate (paraphrased). James spends a good bit of time telling his readers not to elevate the rich over the poor, but here we are, doing just that in western society. For certain, having wealth is no sin, but loving wealth, as the Apostle Paul wrote "is the root of all sorts of evil."

If our faith is real, we will step out of our comfortable spaces, love our neighbors, and focus not on what we want, but what is best for those around us. Lot's failure wasn't that he didn't speak out about the excess and indulgence around him. Lot's failure was indulging in that excess. He was comfortable.

So, I pray that god will work in me so I can seek to touch the lives of those around me in a tangible way, not judging their actions since that is not my place, but rather showing them they are loved. In time, God will work to correct their self-destructive behaviors, but I am called to love my neighbor, to be a "little Christ", and to live a life of service, not a life of selfishness. I pray that others who may read this would be convicted in much the same way.

Open palms

Read Matthew 21:1-17

The story of Palm Sunday was presented in most churches this morning.  It's a great story of Christ's triumphant entrance into the city on a donkey's colt. That's all well and good, but what about the rest of the story?  

Jesus went into Jerusalem to the adulation of the crowd, and went to the temple where He found people using the Hebrew faith as a means to make money. He threw over tables and kicked out the people who were making a profit off religion. Yes, this story gets talked about a little, but it seems to be often glossed over because we don't really want to think of its implications. 

Here in America, there are many Christian religious leaders who preach a health and wealth gospel many of whom are very wealthy because of their "ministry." 

Yet, the Man of Sorrows, the Son of God, was not a man of earthly riches. He was a man who said: "it is easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." That doesn't square well with the idea of Jesus wanting us to be rich. Riches clutter our lives. Material possessions draw our focus away from the Father and His love. They clutter the "temple" of the heart and crowd the space we should reserve for Jesus and the practice of His teachings.

So, on this Palm Sunday, let us come to Jesus with open palms, our hands outstretched to receive the blessing of His love and teaching. Let us clear the temples of our hearts of the materialism and selfishness that crowd Him out and make room for Jesus Christ to teach and lead us. Let us live in faith that He will provide our needs and not stockpile possessions. Let us offer up those possessions we have in service to Him so He can use them to bless others through us.